Alternate needle tufting machine



April 29, 1958 J WEAR 2,832,301

ALTERNATE NEEDLE TUFTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 17, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fii 4 INVENTOR. JOHN H. WEAR 9- 2 BY ATTGRNEKS' April 29, 1958 J. H. WEAR.2,832,301

ALTERNATE NEEDLE TUF'TING MACHINE Filed Dec. 17, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 2IN V EN TOR.

I l} s. 36 4- I BY JOHN H. WEAR r aw flaw Ari-amen:

April 29, H. W

ALTERNATE NEEDLE TUFTING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 17, 1956INVENTOR.

JOHN H. W634i? ATTORNKS United States Patent 2,ss2,s01

ALTERNATE NEEDLE TUFTING MACHINE John Wear, Fairmount, Ga., assiguor toRusselhlacey Manufacturing Company, Inc., a corporation of GeorgiaApplication December 17, 1956, Serial No. 623,589

Claims. (Cl. 112-49) This invention relates to tufting machines of thetype arranged for inserting tuft loops in a fabric base, and moreparticularly to a tufting machine of this sort arranged uniquely forpattern work through selective use of a plurality of alternate needlesto insert tuft loops of different colored yarns.

Briefly described, the present invention is characterized by thearrangement of a plurality of tuft loop inserting needles on a laterallyshiftable head member so that any one of the needles may be selectivelyoperated upon lateral shifting of this head member to dispose theparticular needle selectively for such operation. As a result of thisarrangement, when different colored yarns are supplied to the respectiveneedles they may be readily selected alternatively to insert tuft loopsof the diiferent colors in a base fabric according to a particularpattern desired, while continuing the tufting of the base fabric on thesame machine and without substantial interruption in changing from tuftloops of one color to another.

The present invention is described in further detail below in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a tufting machine embodying the presentinvention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view corresponding to Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end view as seen from the left in Fig. 1, with thelaterally shiftable head member shown in full lines at its left handshifted position, and with the right hand shifted position thereofindicated in broken lines;

Fig. 4 is a generally corresponding end elevation, with the laterallyshiftable head member shown in its right hand shifted position, with theoperative needle shown downwardly extended to insert a tuft loop, andwith the lower portion of the machine broken away to illustrate thearrangement of the other tuft forming elements;

Fig. 5 is a sectional detail taken substantially on the line 5-5 in Fig.6;

Fig. 6 is a sectional detail taken substantially on the line 66 in Fig.4;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary detail corresponding generally to Fig. 4 butshowing the extended needle in Fig. 4 returned to its raised positionafter inserting a tuft loop;

Fig. 8 is a right side detail corresponding generally to Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a further fragmentary detail corresponding generally to Fig. 7but showing the commencement of a succeeding tuft inserting operationwith the same needle; and

Fig. 10 is a further similar fragmentary detail showing the insertedtuft loop being taken from the operative needle by the related tuftforming elements, with the retracted position of this needle indicatedin dotted lines as it would appear upon shifting to inoperative positionfor insertion of the next tuft loop by the other needle shown.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, and .more particularly at firstto Figs. 1 and 2, the illustrated embodiment of the present inventioncomprises a tufting head 2,8323% Fatenterl Apr. 29, 1958 of conventionalform, as indicated generally by the reference numeral lti, having a baseportion 12 which extends forwardly to form a work support at M, andhaving a supporting arm portion 16 in which a drive shaft 18 isjournalled (compare Fig. 6). The drive shaft 18 is fitted with the usualhand wheel 24) and drive pulley 22 at its rear end, and is arranged atits forward end in the usual manner to carry a crank mechanism 24 (seeFigs. 5 and 6), although this crank mechanism is specially arranged toprovide for selective operation of the plural pattern forming needlesaccording to the present invention, as is described further below. Thetufting head it) also has a presser foot 26 arranged thereon that may beraised and lowered by a lever control arm 26' in the conventional mannerfor pressing work (such as a fabric base f, as seen in Figs. 7 to 10)downwardly on the work support 14 so that the work may be movedtransversely across the work support 14 during the tufting operation byconventional work feeding means such as is indicated fragmentarily inFigs. 3 and 4, at 23.

The downward insertion of different colored tufting yarns a and bresults in forming respective pile tufts m and n at the lower face ofthe fabric base 1 (see Figs. 7 to 10), which are originally disposed asloops that are taken beneath the fabric base 1 and held againstwithdrawal by a looper element 3%, in relation to which a knife element32 operates in the illustrated embodiment to out these loops so that thetufts m and it become so-called chenille ends, although loopers mightotherwise be arranged in conventional form to maintain the tufts m and nas loops if desired. The looper element 3% and knife element 32 arearranged in the tufting head 16 on rock shafts 3i) and 32' that areconnected for related operation through a linkage system at 34 and thatare actuated from the tufting head drive shaft 18 through a suitableconnection therewith as indicated at 36.

According to the present invention, the crank mecha' nism 24incorporates a pitman 38 that carries a grooved block member 40 at itsextending end arranged for reciprocation in a vertical slot 42'. formedin a head or plate member 44 fixed at the forward end of the supportingarm portion 16 of the tufting head 10 This fixed head member 44 also hasan intersecting horizontal slot 46 formed therein. The crank mechanism24 is conventionally arranged for stopping with the grooved block member4-0 disposed at the upper reach of its reciprocating stroke (asillustrated in Fig. 6), and the horizontal slot 46 in the fixed headmember 44 is formed in alignment with the groove in the block member it?at this stopped disposition.

The fixed head member 44 is also arranged according to the presentinvention to carry a laterally shiftable head member 48 at its forwardface, the fixed head member 44 being fitted for this purpose with upperslide bearings 50 arranged to receive slide rods 52 extending at eachside of the laterally shiftable head member 48, and with a lowercontaining guide bar 54. The laterally shiftable head member 43 is inturn arranged to carry a plurality of needle bars 5'6 and :38 inparallel spaced relation for axial reciprocation. Each of these needlebars 56 and 58 is fitted at its lower end in the usual manner withneedles 6% and 62 for having the respective tufting yarns a and btrained thereto, and each of the needle bars as and 58 further haslaterally extending lug members :64 and d6 fixed thereon intermediatetheir length so as to be disposed for operation within the laterallyshitfable head member 48. These lug members 64 and 66 extend laterallyfrom the needle bars 56 and 58 in transverse relation with respect tothe shifting direction of the laterally shiftable head member 48 and areshaped for alternative disposition within the horizontal slot 46 in thefixed head member 44, or for engagement with the grooved block member 49of the crank mechanism 24 to reciprocate therewith within the verticalslot in the fixed head member 44. The laterally shiftable head member 48is further fitted with a cover plate 68 in which a plurality of verticalslots 7% and 72 are formed corresponding in number with the number ofneedle bars 56 and 53 and aligned therewith so that further projectionsfrom the needle lug members 64. and 66, as indicated at 74 and 76, maybe arranged to ride in these aligned slots 70 and 72 and thereby key theneedle bars 56 and against rotation about the reciprocating axesthereof.

As a result of this arrangement, any one of the needle bars 56 and 58may be selectively engaged for operating reciprocation by the crankmechanism 24 upon shifting of the laterally shiftable head member 48 todispose one of these needle bars 56 or 58 selectively at the verticalslot 42 in the fixed head member 44 so that the lug member 64 or 66thereon is engaged with the grooved block 40 of the crank mechanism 24,whereupon the remaining needle bar 58 or 556 is automatically heldinactive by a resulting disposition of the lug member 66 or 64 thereonwithin the horizontal slot 46 of the fixed head member 44. The selectedneedle bar 56 or 53 will continue in this operative engagement with thecrank mechanism 24 until the laterally shitfable head member 48 ispurposely shifted to dispose another needle bar 53 or 56 for operation,which shifting may be accomplished readily whenever the crank mechanism24 is stopped.

The present invention has been described in detail above for purposes ofillustration only and is not intended to be limited by this descriptionor otherwise except as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a tufting machine, a plurality of needle bars carrying tuft loopinserting needles, a laterally shiftable head member supporting saidneedle bars in parallel spaced relation for reciprocation transverselyof the direction in which said head member is laterally shiftable, adriving crank means adjacent said head member, and means for selectivelyengaging any one of said needle bars with said crank means forreciprocation thereby upon lateral shifting of said head member todispose one of said needle bars selectively for such engagement.

2. In a tufting machine, a plurality of needle bars carrying tuft loopinserting needles, a laterally shiftable head member supporting saidneedle bars in parallel spaced relation for reciprocation transverselyof the direction in which said head member is laterally shiftable, a lugmember fixed on each of said needle bars intermediate the lengththereof, a driving crank means adjacent said head member including apitman having agrooved block at the extending end thereof, and means forguiding said lug members into engagement alternatively with said groovedblock member upon lateral shifting of said head member.

3. In a tufting machine, a fixed head member, a laterally shiftable headmember carried on said fixed head member, a plurality of needle barsslidably mounted on said laterally shiftable head member in parallelspaced relation for axial reciprocation transversely of the direction inwhich said head member is laterally shiftable, a laterally extending lugmember fixed on each of said needle bars intermediate the lengththereof, intersecting horizontal and vertical slots formed in said fixedhead member for allowing disposition of said laterally extending lugmember therethrough transversely with respect to the shifting directionof said laterally shiftable head member, a driving crank means includinga pitman having a block member at the extending end thereof disposed forreciprocation in said vertical slot and grooved for selective engagementby said lug members, whereby any one of said needle bars may beselectively engaged for reciprocation by said crank means upon shiftingof said laterally shiftable head member to dispose one of said needlebars selectively at said vertical slot for such engagement, and wherebythe remaining needle bars' are held inactive by resulting disposition ofthe lug member thereon within said horizontal slot.

4. In a tufting machine, the structure defined in claim 3 and furthercharacterized in that said driving crank means is arranged for stoppingwith said block member disposed at one end of its reciprocating stroke,and said horizontal slot is formed in alignment with the lug memberengaging groove in said block member at said stopped disposition.

5. In a tufting machine, the structure defined in claim 3 and furthercharacterized in that said laterally shiftable head member is formedwith a corresponding plurality of slots aligned with said reciprocableneedle bars, and said needle bars have projections arranged thereon toride in said aligned slots and thereby key said needle bars againstrotation about the reciprocating axes thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,379,468 Matson May 24, 1921 1,510,246 Sharaf Sept. 30, 1924 1,676,853Brase July 10, 1928 1,984,330 Boyce Dec. 11, 1934 2,768,593 Lombard Oct.30, 1956

